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| Posted on August 5, 2008 by Max |
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Alright, you may have noticed the site was down for a bit today, or well more like completely messed up haha. I fixed it for now, but I cannot make updates in the update thing anymore! So for now, updates are on hold until I move to my own hosting.
And, in case anyone is wondering, the reason I am moving to my own hosting is so I can start making a profit from the website, because I really need to start saving up for college and stuff like that. Gertie is an AMAZING host and I definitely recommend her to ANYONE who wants to start a fan site! It's just time for me to do this, as I've been planning on it for a while. |
| Biography 01 |
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At an age when most teens are looking forward to a carefree summer break, Jordin Sparks at 17, graced the stage as the youngest American Idol winner and spent the summer months crafting her eponymous debut album. Honing all the confidence, class and breathtaking range of emotion that put her at the epicenter of the entertainment world for most of 2007, Jordin is pouring everything into her upcoming album due out on 19 Recordings/Jive Records in November.
Jordin says the album also benefits from a summer-long vocal workout on the road during the 56 city Pop Tarts American Idol Live! Tour that just recently ended. “I learned so much being out there every night singing live,” she says. “How to grab hold of a song. To have and keep that control. I’ve always been a student of singing – listening to stuff on the radio and trying to figure out how a singer is ‘breathing,’ how they do harmonies. What was great about performing live every night is building the strength in my voice and seeing it resonate with the audience. I tried to bring that into my sessions for the album. Giving that kind of power to the material.” Effortlessly navigating a dream-team of ‘A-list” writing/producing talent on her new album that includes The Underdogs (Dreamgirls soundtrack, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige), Eman (Nick Lachey, Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion), Robbie Nevil (High School Musical soundtrack), and former Color Me Badd star-turned producer/writer Sam Watters (Jessica Simpson) – all of them adding color and dimension to her multitude of talents ala Jordin’s kickoff single, “Tattoo.” Written by Amanda Ghost, (who co-penned James Blunt’s breakthrough classic “You’re Beautiful,”) and produced by the Norwegian street-tinged duo Stargate, (Beyonce, Ne-Yo, Rhianna), the single has buoyantly reacquainted music fans with Jordin’s remarkable vocal presence. But it’s her ability to completely wrap herself around a song, as she does on her new ballad “Permanent Monday,” (produced by Eman and written by Lindy Robbins) that raises the bar on her new album, revealing a depth and knack for storytelling that sculpts a landscape worthy of the singer’s entire repertoire of emotions. “When I listen to a demo I like to know how it was done. I try to imagine what I can bring to it,” she says. “Put my spin to it. All my favorite artists, whether contemporary or classic – all had a way of making that certain song their own. I don’t know If I had a plan for this album so much as I had a method. To give myself to each session, each song – every note. I think in the end that’s how you create the full spectrum for your fans. I have rock cuts, edgey stuff, and of course ballads like ‘Permanent Monday’ which I love to do.” Born in Phoenix, AZ, (she resides in Glendale) she admits that the high-intensity environment of her father’s occupation (her dad, Phillippi Sparks, was a professional football player for the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys) may have schooled her in how to cope with the rigors of show business early on. “My family was always very loving, very grounded. My dad kept us calm no matter what was happening with his career, and my mom made me fiercely independent. She was big on teaching us responsibility and fending for ourselves. I think I understood early the importance of setting goals and being prepared to meet them.” Growing up in a bi-racial household also taught Jordin another valuable lesson. “Amazingly, I never felt singled-out. Even at school, we were always treated with respect, never out of the ordinary, which when I look back, is really an incredible thing. I try to be that accepting whenever I encounter a new or difficult situation.” Perhaps her most revealing life-lesson is the tale about how Jordin nearly missed out on being an Idol contestant altogether. No stranger to musical competitions, it’s the way she handled the potentially biggest disappointment of her life – being sent home on her first Idol try - that reveals a strength of character truly rare in a just-turned-17 year old. “I remember being at that first audition looking down that long line that just seemed endless and asking myself: ‘What am I bringing to this – how will they ever notice me’ she says.’ They didn’t, with the young singer being dismissed after her first L.A. audition. “I went home, shook it off and said ‘wait a minute, I can do this if they let me.’” Where most teenagers might have buried such a disappointment in a countless array of distractions – Jordin made a bee-line for a second audition held in her native Arizona. She won, earning her another shot in front of Idol royalty at a Seattle audition where she sang Celine Dion’s “Because You Love Me.” The rest – as they, say is – well… “Giving up is not part of my vocabulary,” she says proudly. “Sure, I get down, but I’ve learned to let the negative roll off my back. You have to if you want to keep on going in this world.” When asked if there is anything truly surprising her fans might want to know about her – she laughs: ‘The fact that I like post-hardcore bands – ‘Screamo’ bands like Silverstein (from Burlington, Ontario) and others.” Jordin is quick to add she’s also a sucker for ‘80’s music. “I’m full of surprises,” she smiles. “I’ve found out the best thing about making your first album is how much you continue to surprise even yourself.” “Overnight success” is overwhelming to anyone at any age’ but Jordin Sparks is taking it all in stride and shining brightly with every step. Her biggest challenge may be her upcoming album, but if you take into account her steady foundation, awe-inspiring talents and unlimited enthusiasm, her biggest challenge may just prove to be her greatest success. |
| Biography 02 |
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Before she could talk, Jordin was bouncing along to songs on TV or the radio, and at three years of age she was singing along with her Mom's Crystal Lewis tapes. By grade school she was refining her "act" on the kitchen counter top! She began singing at school and church functions during elementary school, and has loved performing ever since!
While Jordin’s father played football for the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, his career allowed her to become comfortable with crowds and the media. Moving across country for years, her parents exposed her to various cultural events, including Broadway shows, and she realized as a young child that she wanted to perform on stage. After her father’s retirement from the NFL, the family settled in the Phoenix area, and Jordin began singing frequently at her church, at school, and community functions. At age 12 in 2002 she sang and acted with the Valley Youth Theater, and won the title of "Arizona's Rising Star" sponsored by Coca Cola. Numerous talent competitions followed in 2003. She became a regular talent winner on Family Nights at the famous country-western club, Mr. Lucky's, in Glendale, Arizona. She was encouraged to audition for CBS’s Star Search, NBC’s America’s Most Talented Kid, and FOX’s American Juniors, and she became a semi-finalist for each show. In the fall of 2003, Jordin recorded her first project entitled For Now. The CD was produced by legendary gospel artist, Matthew Ward, and was recorded at Rosewood Studios in Tyler, Texas. In February 2004 Jordin was named the Overall Spotlight Winner at the Gospel Music Association’s Academy in Washington, D.C., and she took second place in the National Finals at GMA’s Music in the Rockies. She also placed second in the nationwide Young Gun’s contest, earning her main-stage sets backed by J. David Sloan and Western Bred at Country Thunder in Arizona. One of her favorite experiences came as a result of winning Alice Cooper’s Proof Is In The Pudding contest. She performed onstage with an all-star cast of 70’s rockers in Alice’s 2004 Christmas Pudding Show at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix. Jordin has sung the National Anthem for the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Cardinals and Diamondbacks, and ASU University events, has appeared on Good Morning Arizona, and FOX NEWS and was one of seven episode winners to perform in the Tournament of Champions on PAX Television’s America’s Most Talented Kids in 2005. Fall of 2005 she sang and acted in the new stage musical, Magdalene, in Franklin, TN, and capped the year as backup singer on Michael W. Smith’s Christmas Tour. In 2006, Jordin concentrated on songwriting and recording new songs. She was a featured soloist on COX television’s Everyday Heroes event, began modeling for Torrid clothing stores. In September of 2006, she won the title of Arizona Idol, and was awarded a trip to Seattle, WA, where she auditioned for American Idol. Jordin is currently an American Idol Season 6 contestant on FOX. |
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